Building it up only to let it go - those who've jumped ship. *LONG*

[kwren]

The "old pickup truck bumper" was virtually undamaged.

Keith

[Obewon]

Originally Posted by Subaru Alliance

I will drive mine till the wheels fall off

me too, and it's babied .. should last a long time yet, rubber is still supple, zero rust, etc.

[92 SVX]

Originally Posted by kwren

Your funny story brought back memories of my "funny story". "The light changes and he breaks traction and tears off down the road" My guy also did that... sort off!!

More than half a century ago I worked for an appliance dealer in Lubbock Texas. I drove an "then already old" flat 6-Chevrolet pickup truck. One day as I approached the high school and stopped at the red light at the intersection, a high school kid in a "hot rod" pulled up and stopped beside me in the left lane. The old pickup I was driving probable would get from Zero to Sixty in about seven minutes! Just Kidding with him, I revved up the engine-to a "fast idle" and he reciprocated with a roar.

Picture this...

Remember, we are sitting at the intersection with his high school right there... on our right. The light changes, I take off with a sputter, he takes off with a roar! As he comes by me on the left, he tries to cut in in front of me, misjudges the clearance and his right rear bumper bumps my left front bumper.

His "hot rod" turns sideways, skids, flips over on the top, then slides down the street upside down, on its top... This all happened in, like a second, right in front of the his high-school... with several of his classmates watching.

When his car finally comes to a stop and as it catches on fire, he drags himself out through the broken window and runs right down the center of the street !

What can we all learn from this??

Never underestimate your opponent in any competition

Keith

Since we are off topic anyway I got a interesting one.
I was first year of college I did not have a car a friend of mine an I were out in his pickup, I think it was a 63, it had a pretty good 327 chevy engine and it had the original 4 speed, well granny low and 3 speed. It had a decent dual exhaust set up we were at a light and a guy with a trans am pulled up my friend screwing around reved it a bit, sounded mean lol the guy in the trans looked over and reved light turned and my friend put it in low and dropped the clutch it squealed the tires but did not really go the trans am smoked the tires through the intersection by this time my friend let off and shifted and was driving like nothing was going on, and a cop pulled over the trans am.
We did not know the cop was there my friend was just screwing around later the guy met up with us and said the cop wanted to get him for racing but didnt know who he was racing against.

[kwren]

Originally Posted by 92 SVX

Since we are off topic anyway I got a interesting one.
I was first year of college I did not have a car a friend of mine an I were out in his pickup, I think it was a 63, it had a pretty good 327 chevy engine and it had the original 4 speed, well granny low and 3 speed. It had a decent dual exhaust set up we were at a light and a guy with a trans am pulled up my friend screwing around reved it a bit, sounded mean lol the guy in the trans looked over and reved light turned and my friend put it in low and dropped the clutch it squealed the tires but did not really go the trans am smoked the tires through the intersection by this time my friend let off and shifted and was driving like nothing was going on, and a cop pulled over the trans am.
We did not know the cop was there my friend was just screwing around later the guy met up with us and said the cop wanted to get him for racing but didnt know who he was racing against.

Funny!
I decided a long time ago that in a situation that two can get in trouble, I will not let them have us both! The cop has to pick and if it is handled right, he will chose the other driver. You did good.

Keith

[wdb]

Originally Posted by LetItSnow

This, of course, raises the question of how slow a car can be and still be acceptable. If the 235hp SVX is plenty, why not swap out to a more efficient and lighter 2.5L 165hp engine, or even a 2.2L 142HP engine? We're in no hurry, right?

Because those motors are missing two cylinders, duh. The thought of a performance oriented flat S-I-X from Subarus is one of the big reasons I bought an SVX in the first place.

[dcarrb]

Originally Posted by LetItSnow

You don't have to be in a rush to want a car with a reasonable amount of power. There is a shade of luxury to be had with a car that doesn't need to drop down two gears to find any sense of acceleration.

Very true. We bought that GL wagon because we lived on a dirt road with an approach to the house steep enough to be a challenge in bad weather. As much fun as is was to drive on back roads, freeway runs could be exhausting, with noise, vibration, not quite enough leg room, and insufficient power to aggressively drive out of a tight spot.

As freeway speeds increased over the years, keeping up in that wagon became a challenge. When we first bought it we'd set the cruise at 60 or 65 MPH and keep an eagle-eye out for the law; try running that slow on the very same stretch of highway today, as I do frequently, and you'll have a luxury SUV running right up the tailpipes. Maybe I've become more of a stereotypical "grandpa" driver than I realize, but speeds on our roads have unquestionably and dramatically increased in the last 20 years, and it seems the American Way of Driving has become using the gas pedal in two modes: On and off.

So I'm glad I drive an SVX, and I've never had a problem keeping-up (or staying out of the way) as the situation dictates. Earlier I referred to it as "competent," and I realize that's subjective. But I'll stick with "well-rounded."

dcb

[LetItSnow]

Originally Posted by wdb

Because those motors are missing two cylinders, duh.

Stuff the "duh" back in the basement and keep the conversation in context.

[BoxerFanatic]

This is an interesting thread. I haven't yet read all of the commentary, but after reading the first few responses to the topic, I can somewhat understand the concern.


The unfortunate thing is, these cars are getting to the point of being classics, rather than being daily drivers. If something big goes, it can easily eclipse the value of the car, and there really isn't effective insurance for that. Just loss.

I have a car that is not pristine, and before I bought it, was bound for a california car crusher. I am so glad I have it, and I have come to like it as much, and in a couple of ways, even more than my turbo-4 Legacy GT with a 5-speed.

The non-pristine cars (likely most of them) will probably be moderately supported, and driven until it becomes unfeasible to do so, and then sold or parted out to keep others on the road longer.

The pristine cars are probably going to be kept, and accrue fewer and fewer annual miles, in an effort to preserve them, in the light of decreasing parts inventories.

The fact that Subaru has abandoned it doesn't help one bit. Most subaru enthusiasts anymore barely recognize it, or see SVX as a black-sheep of the family, and not a serious enthusiast-worthy car, since it isn't a fire-breathing turbo, and most don't have a manual gearbox swapped in.

I would love to keep an SVX into the foreseeable long-term future. I would love for that to be a more pristine car than the one I am driving that has been in an accident, and will never be pristine again.

But practical reality is, that it would be a sideline project and labor of love, and maybe a backup, no longer a front-line car.... and as the years tick by, more and more that will be the case.

SVX is right where I want to be, in terms of the car I want to drive. I realize it might not be everyone's cup of tea, but we here on this forum generally agree about this car being quite an attractive mix of form, capability, and versatility.

Subaru isn't about to make us a new one, and the old ones only get older, some cherished, some not.

But as a front-line car, my next car is going to have to be something else.

And the closest to an SVX, newer, and better supported, that I can find, is this.


SVX was acclaimed when new, to be an affordable alternative to the Porsche Carrera 4.

Now, without a newer SVX that is still supportable to the level that a daily driver needs to be supported, Carrera 4 remains... and the 996 model is affordable, and has MUCH wider support.

I was hoping Subaru was making a new AWD sport coupe, even if it wasn't a direct SVX successor. That is not the case, so be it. Porsche is still building what Porsche builds.

It is still H6 powered.
It is still AWD (with the 4/4S/Turbo)
It is still iconic and attractive.
It is still available, and will continue to be.

I hope I can support an SVX hobby car along side a Carrera 4... but my next front-line daily driver is likely to be a 996 Carrera 4 6-speed coupe, or maybe a C4S wide body variant. And probably a beater Forester or something to fetch parts.

Subaru's product planning, and the continuous march of time is making the reality of SVX's continued support for those of us who like them, a constrained issue.

And before LetItSnow chastises me about "driveway manifesto" discussion... that is exactly what this topic boils down to. What can we enthusiasts justify keeping on our driveways, and how. Some people who have given a tremendous amount to the body of SVX enthusiasts, have decided to change what vehicles they park on their driveways, due to the realities of ownership.

[svxcess]

Originally Posted by BoxerFanatic

This is an interesting thread. I haven't yet read all of the commentary, but after reading the first few responses to the topic, I can somewhat understand the concern.


The unfortunate thing is, these cars are getting to the point of being classics, rather than being daily drivers. If something big goes, it can easily eclipse the value of the car, and there really isn't effective insurance for that. Just loss.

I have a car that is not pristine, and before I bought it, was bound for a california car crusher. I am so glad I have it, and I have come to like it as much, and in a couple of ways, even more than my turbo-4 Legacy GT with a 5-speed.

The non-pristine cars (likely most of them) will probably be moderately supported, and driven until it becomes unfeasible to do so, and then sold or parted out to keep others on the road longer.

The pristine cars are probably going to be kept, and accrue fewer and fewer annual miles, in an effort to preserve them, in the light of decreasing parts inventories.

The fact that Subaru has abandoned it doesn't help one bit. Most subaru enthusiasts anymore barely recognize it, or see SVX as a black-sheep of the family, and not a serious enthusiast-worthy car, since it isn't a fire-breathing turbo, and most don't have a manual gearbox swapped in.

I would love to keep an SVX into the foreseeable long-term future. I would love for that to be a more pristine car than the one I am driving that has been in an accident, and will never be pristine again.

But practical reality is, that it would be a sideline project and labor of love, and maybe a backup, no longer a front-line car.... and as the years tick by, more and more that will be the case.

SVX is right where I want to be, in terms of the car I want to drive. I realize it might not be everyone's cup of tea, but we here on this forum generally agree about this car being quite an attractive mix of form, capability, and versatility.

Subaru isn't about to make us a new one, and the old ones only get older, some cherished, some not.

But as a front-line car, my next car is going to have to be something else.

And the closest to an SVX, newer, and better supported, that I can find, is this.

I've ridden in one of these babies. GREAT performance and responsiveness and handling. Lots to admire. But Iouldn't want to drive across the country in it.

I hated the intimacy of the cockpit and how clausterphobic it made me feel. Visability out the windows has been forever spoiled by owning an SVX.

Maybe if I was 7" shorter and 50 lbs. lighter...

If I want to feel that hemmed in and confined, I can do it for a whole lot less money and still have plenty of parts available and aftermarket support.

Maintenance would not make me "Poor-ish"

Case in Point:





(I used to own one. A 1988 Si, with complete Mugen upgrades, including limited-slip diff, upgraded suspension and dual exhaust.)



.

[BoxerFanatic]

I would suppose that a closer parallel to SVX might be:
Audi A5 (more expensive to buy, and potentially maintain, rare 6-cylinder availability, only 211hp from a turbo 4 in a 3700+lb coupe, but very nice looking)
BMW 3-series Coupe-xi, (very expensive to maintain out of warranty, especially the turbo versions and/or AWD versions, not that attractive anymore.)
or the Infiniti G37xS, (looking more and more bloated, even heavier than SVX is, auto-only again. VQ37 doesn't sing very well.

No offense to your CRX... I know people love them... but I won't be buying a FWD car again if I can help it, and prefer not to rely on 2 driven wheels on the rear axle in the winter either, if there is an AWD option.

But I like boxer engines, especially 6 cylinders, AWD, and manual gearboxes in cars. I wish Subaru combined that stuff... they have all of it now, just not together, let alone in a slick coupe. Porsche is IT. A short list of 1 make and model group. Not to say I wouldn't keep a manual-swapped SVX on the side. I would love one of those, too.

It is interesting about the interior space, I haven't had an opportunity to ride in a 996 yet, as there aren't many of them around, and I don't know anyone with one. I hardly ever get to a dealer at any time it is open, and most don't allow tire-kickers to take test drives.

I am not a small/short guy, so that should be interesting, but I don't have a problem with the low roof of the SVX, other than I wish I didn't have to put the visor full-forward to get it to stay up. I can fit in, and drive my NB miata, although I wouldn't drive it across the country, either. The wife drives it most of the time, and loves it.

The front seat area of the '05 Legacy isn't as wide as the SVX is, either, and seems about right for me, other than the brake handle digging into my knee after a while. I love SVX's brake handle, in comparison.

By no means do I want to get rid of my SVX, but I think a lot of us probably consider what else to really keep putting the miles on in the future. The future is already here for some who have moved on before now.

[Landshark]

Originally Posted by BoxerFanatic

It is interesting about the interior space, I haven't had an opportunity to ride in a 996 yet, as there aren't many of them around, and I don't know anyone with one. I hardly ever get to a dealer at any time it is open, and most don't allow tire-kickers to take test drives.

i was seriously looking to get a 996TT, as the prices dipped into mid-to-high 30's last fall for 2001-2002's. i found a nice one that i almost pulled the trigger on, but hesitated due to it being 500 miles away. this spring, prices shot back up into the 40's, which is more than i wanted to pay for a used car.

The front seat area of the '05 Legacy isn't as wide as the SVX is, either, and seems about right for me, other than the brake handle digging into my knee after a while. I love SVX's brake handle, in comparison.

i remember sitting in the "new" LGT at a car show when they came out and thinking, "nice, but no way could i deal with this narrow interior!" apparently i got used to it.


i really would have liked the upcoming Subiota sports coupe, if it had some power and AWD.

[Rod.]

Put me into the builder category.

I've been back and forth between 911's and Subarus several times over the past 5 years.

First was a '77 911S that I sold so I could get an '06 STi. That was a neat car but not a daily driver for a guy in his '50s.

So I traded it to the dealer for an '08 Forester that my wife is driving, and I found another vintage 911 -- a '79 911SC that was nicely upgraded.

I've looked at several SVXs over the past 10 years but never found the right one, but this spring I sold the 911SC to make room for either an SVX or a 928.

As luck would have it, within days of selling the 911 I found the right SVX: my Canadian-market '97 LSi that looked great and ran well. Sort of. Turns out it needed a fresh engine because of spun crankshaft bearings...

Four months later, I'm driving my SVX as a daily driver after getting a '92 with a good motor and body but a bad tranny. There are still a few things to get sorted out and she's going back into the shop next week -- kinda like a check-up after major surgery. But she's running fine! And I've got the '92 as a donor which is useful because SVXs are very rare in my neck of the woods.

I'm getting 4 studded snow tires next week so I can drive it through the winter, so this won't be a garage queen. Especially not after having doubled my "investment" to get her finally running.

Thanks to everyone here who is or has been a builder -- the info and support is fantastic. Hopefully, I'll be hanging around and contributing to the forum as a builder and driver for a long time!

Cheers,

[michael]

Not trying to fan any flames here but back to the future of the svx. Perhaps we could look to similar cars for what will happen to our parts supply. Can anyone with an xt or xt6 chime in and tell us a little about ownership lately. Particularly values, what does a mint vs. good vs ok xt6 go for and what are they like to maintain.

[huck369]

Originally Posted by michael

Not trying to fan any flames here but back to the future of the svx. Perhaps we could look to similar cars for what will happen to our parts supply. Can anyone with an xt or xt6 chime in and tell us a little about ownership lately. Particularly values, what does a mint vs. good vs ok xt6 go for and what are they like to maintain.

They are fairly easy to maintain, if they are kept up, but if it's been abused, and neglected, it becomes a lot of trouble to get everything back up to par...
Parts are getting harder to come by, and prices have been really low for years now, you see a low miles mint one up for sale once in a while, usually around $3000 or less, decent runners can be bought for 500-1000
Expensive and hard to find parts include Fenders, Radiators (XT6 is Subaru only) dash surround.....rust is really an issue at this age, as they weren't rust proofed nearly as well s the SVX was.

[benebob]

Originally Posted by michael

Not trying to fan any flames here but back to the future of the svx. Perhaps we could look to similar cars for what will happen to our parts supply. Can anyone with an xt or xt6 chime in and tell us a little about ownership lately. Particularly values, what does a mint vs. good vs ok xt6 go for and what are they like to maintain.

Honestly I don't think there is anything that comes close to a "mint" XT6 at this point. As Huck said a very solid low mile car is around $3k, beaters around $500. Wish I could find a decent one as by far my XT6 was the best Subaru I've owned. Have been looking for years but I'm becoming convinced the mint 6 doesn't exist.